


Malcontent

by cimberelly



Series: TaiKi Coffeeshop AU [3]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M, otp battle 2014 entry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2018-01-14 23:59:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1283602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cimberelly/pseuds/cimberelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Butler Cafe AU. His job at Le Ciel was hardly ever fun and games for Nijimura Shuzo aka Usagi-san.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Malcontent

**Author's Note:**

> Le Ciel, the butler cafe that Nijimura works at, was mentioned first in the third TaiKi drabble and so this ficlet is being placed with the other TaiKi AU stuff. At least for now...? They belong in the same universe anyway and so some things will eventually overlap.

“He’s here.”

If he could, Nijimura would actually reach out and try to swipe off that fox-like grin on Imayoshi’s face. But Imayoshi was his senpai of sorts and you just don’t go around punching your senpai’s face even if he probably deserved it. Nijimura’s deadpan look of irritation just made Imayoshi’s smile stretch even wider. Sometimes, the staff of Le Ciel really had to wonder if their cafe manager literally thrived on everybody’s misery. He just looked so much more energetic when there was someone to annoy.

“Table 4.”

And of course Nijimura went because it was his job, his job that involved serving drinks and food to squealing, blushing fujoshi and the random curious bystander. In almost full butler uniform and bunny ears. Yes, this was his job and he didn’t have to like or enjoy it. At least Le Ciel wasn’t a specialized cafe that actually required its butlers to take on a particular personality, like that whacked out Tsundere Cafe all of them heard about some time back. At Le Ciel, they were just themselves, except with a bit of enhancement since their personalities were important, practically their selling point.

“Oh, and Niji-kun.”

Nijimura wished for strength and patience before turning a bit to look at their manager. If you didn’t know him, Imayoshi’s smile could be considered very pleasant.

“Yeah?”

“Do try to get him to order more, won’tcha? He is usually here for more than an hour so that’d be great.” A pause and a bigger grin. “Just a suggestion.”

Which made it not one at all, of course.

As expected, he was there right where Imayoshi said he was. Like he always was almost every other afternoon and Nijimura was here to serve him.

“Good afternoon, Master.” Nijimura had perfected how to bow just enough to make it presentable and not have his white rabbit ears fall off from his head as he did so.

“Good afternoon, Usagi-san.” was the usual calm reply. “I’ll have my usual, please.”

Nijimura didn’t need to think about it at all. “Coffee. Black.” His “Master” was around that often.

“And your number.” This was said so unflinchingly, so un-ironically that it always made Nijimura wonder if his regular client was really not all right in the head. Then again, he was a nicely dressed young man in a butler cafe and commissioning one of the pricklier butlers on employ.

“Akashi-san.”

“Please call me ‘Seijuuro’.”

“Akashi-san.” Nijimura stated the name firmly with the proper honorific and did his best to ignore the face that he was given. It probably looked bland to a whole lot of other people but as mentioned, this particular client was around a lot. That face was Akashi Seijuuro’s pouting face. “You know it’s against the rules to ask for personal information. That’s two strikes for today and I hadn’t even put in your order yet.”

“I apologize.” Akashi answered in that soft, well-mannered way he almost always spoke in and again Nijimura had to ask why he even bothered to come by. Didn’t he have a nice young lady to occupy his time? Or a nice young man… “But that is just how much I like Usagi-san’s company.”

Honestly, if it were possible, they should hire Akashi. Spouting off lines like that without flinching or laughing while being all mannerly at the same time, he would be a hit. If only they could actually manage the Lonely Bouchama type or whatever it was the fujoshi called that kind of stereotype nowadays.

It was then that he caught Imayoshi looming by the corner of his eye and he remembered the “suggestion” given to him before he approached the table. His lips pursed, not liking how he had to do this, but well, it was part of the job.

“I tell you what,” Nijimura couldn’t remember the last time he had such undivided attention directed to him. Oh wait. Yeah, he could. “if you order something else aside from coffee, I’ll forget about the two strikes.”

Those eyes rounding at him so earnestly should not be cute. Not at all. “Really?”

“Yeah. But just for today, okay?” Nijimura clarified firmly. “Don’t think this is going to be a regular thing.”

“I understand perfectly.” Akashi answered with a nod. “I’d like to order now, then, please.”

Nijimura dutifully pulled out his writing pad and pen from his pocket. He got ready to write down whatever sweet confection was on the menu that Akashi would choose, eyes down to the pad. “What’ll it be?”

“What is Usagi-san’s favorite from today’s menu?”

There was a pause before Nijimura looked up, fixing his “Master” an incredulous, questioning look. “…Hah?”

Imayoshi’s suggestion was effective. Perhaps too effective because Akashi ended up ordering a whole box of those (overpriced) lemon bars that Nijimura did like a lot which Akashi left to him afterwards. Akashi himself only had one piece (“I can taste why Usagi-san likes these a lot.”) and Nijimura had to stop himself from wolfing down the rest in one sitting because Akashi had him sit down with him to join him in eating. It wasn’t an unknown practice, butlers joining their masters for the treats they ordered, but it cost the masters and it wasn’t cheap.

Imayoshi sighed happily as he counted out the day’s earnings later on as Nijimura nibbled patiently on a precious lemon bar. He really couldn’t afford the treats on his own and while he could try and coax Sakurai into giving him some free samples, Sakurai was more terrified of Imayoshi’s reaction when he found out than Nijimura himself.

“Gotta say, good job, Niji-kun. Ya finally got him to sit you down with him. ‘Took you long enough.” No, Imayoshi’s compliments just didn’t last long. Good thing Nijimura was used to them and ignored them for the most part. “Maybe next time you can feed him with a fork? Ya think he’d be amenable to that?”

Nijimura finished up his latest lemon bar and dusted his hands, standing up. The rest of the lemon bars will have to be saved for some other time. Suddenly, he had just lost his appetite. “I’m going home.”

Imayoshi looked at him for a moment and then sighed, but this time with regret. “Yeah. See ya tomorrow.”

And as Nijimura stepped out into the street in his street clothes, looking plainer and shabbier out of the uniform he usually donned and without his trademark snow white rabbit ears, he again thought of how ridiculous(ly awful) his job could get and how much he didn’t like it.


End file.
